Japan
Population: 123 million, Size ~ California
Political Paralysis in the 1990s
Kiichi Miyazawa,
Shin Kanemaru
Morihiro Hosokawa
PM, LDP
LDP politician
PM, LDP
1991-1993
1993-1994
Political Paralysis in the 1990s
Ryutaro Hashimoto
Keizo Obuchi
Yoshiro Mori
PM, LDP
PM, LDP
PM, LDP
1996-1998
1998-2000
2000-2001
Political Paralysis in the 21st century?
Junichiro Koizumi
Shinzo Abe
Yasuo Fukuda
LDP 2001-2006
LDP 2006-2007
LDP 2007-2008
Taro Aso
Yukio Hatoyama
Naoto Kan
LDP, 2008-2009
DPJ 2009-2010
DPJ 2010-2011
Yushihiko Noda
DPJ 2011-?????
Historical background on Japanese Politics:
Why no democracy?
Ancient divine right of the
Emperor since 700 BC.
Descended from Sun Goddess
The details of running the
country, or even making policy,
were considered beneath the
emperor’s dignity.
Since WWII, the emperor only
has symbolic power much like
the Queen of England.
Emperor Jimmu
700s BC
Modern Emperors of Japan
Emperor Hirohito
Emperor Akihito
1926-1989
1989-present
The Shogun
Ministers or other
representatives appointed
by the emperor wielded
real political and military
power.
Eventually the ministers,
regents, or shoguns
developed their own
power bases leading to
extended battles between
rivals
Shogun from the Kamakura
Shogunate 1192-1333
Tokugawa (Edo) Shogunate 1603-1868
From 1603 to 1868 – Japan was
ruled by the powerful Tokugawa
shogunate.
The spiritual capital of Japan at
the time was in Kyoto but the
Tokugawas made their political
capital in Edo – modern day
Tokyo.
Tokugawa Yoshinobu,
Last Shogun 1867-1868
Samurai, 1867 photograph
The Tokugawa regime remained in power by dispersing
authority among the various feudal clans (daimyos) and
with the support of the samurais.
Daimyos of Japan
American Intervention in 1860s
Visit by U.S. Naval
Commander Matthew C.
Perry exposes Japans
technological weakness.
The United States wanted to
open up trade with Japan and
supported opponents of the
Tokugawa shogunate, which
preferred to keep Japan
isolated.
US backs military rebellion
against the Tokugawa
Commander Matthew
C. Perry
Meiji Restoration of 1868
Meiji Restoration of 1868 brought
an end to centuries of rule by
feudal warlords and began the
transition to modernity.
It is called a restoration because it
brought back centralized power
under the Emperor.
Emperor Meiji
1867-1912
Modernization
The Meiji government removed many of the Tokugawa-era
controls over the lives of ordinary people – the Meiji
government abolished the daimyos and the samurai.
The economy was liberalized allowing merchants, industrial
entrepreneurs to grow.
To hasten economic modernization, the Meiji government
helped develop large-scale businesses referred to as the
“zaibatsu” (property) and headed by prominent families.
The zaibatsu leaders coalesced around the Emperor and the
state provided private enterprise with economic support
including restricting labor rights.
Modern Companies derived from former Zaibatsu
Mitsui Group
From
Nakajima
Aircraft Co.
Unlike economic reform, the pace of
democratization moved slowly.
Most Meiji officials never envisioned
mass-public participation in politics.
Japan’s first constitution was
established in 1889 and a moderate
reformer Hirobumi Ito became Japan’s
first prime minister.
However, electoral and political
participation remained elitist.
Hirobumi Ito
Japan’s first PM
1885-1888
Structure of Japanese Parliament (Diet)
The House of Peers (the upper house) members were
appointed by the emperor from his family and the nobility.
The lower House of Representatives was not designed around
political party affiliation, but clan-based loyalties.
The parliament was primarily an advisory body to the
Emperor with little decision-making authority of its own.
Like Germany, Japan at the turn of the century was ruled by
an emperor who transferred most governing power to an
autocratic prime minister.
The Taisho Era
The Taisho era – named for Emperor
Taisho who ruled from 1912 to 1926
An era of increasing economic
modernization, military/political
power, and social conflict in Japan.
Era of Popular Awakening.
Agitation for greater political rights
and labor/peasant rights was common.
Mass political participation began to
take shape.
This lead to reactionary measures on
the part of political conservatives,
especially in the military.
Emperor Taisho
1912-1926
Civilian/Military Conflicts
Even at the time of the Meiji Restoration, Japanese leadership
sought to modernize and expand Japan’s military.
Universal military service was instituted in 1872.
Copying the West, Japan sought to expand its power by
colonizing and exploiting weaker neighbors.
Captured Okinawa in 1879, Taiwan in 1895, Sakhalin Island from
Russia in 1905, Korea in 1906, Manchuria in 1919, deeper into
Manchuria in 1933, invasion of China in 1937.
While the constitution ensured parliamentary weakness, the
military was entrusted with a great deal of independent, selfregulating power.
Japanese
Expansion
before WWII
Imperial Japan
In 1936, the military seized control
over government in a coup.
Replaced most of the civilian
leadership with hard-line military
enforcers, eliminating political
parties and establishing a one-party
rule under the Imperial Rule
Assistance Association (IRAA).
On the eve of WWII, Japan was a
powerful, heavily militarized,
nationalistic, and authoritarian state,
headed by military general/prime
minister Hideki Tojo.
Gen. Hideki Tojo PM
1941-1944
Imperial Japan was ultimately brought down by the threat of
total nuclear annihilation following the August 1945 bombings
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Japan was forced to an unconditional surrender to the United
States and military occupation.
Building Japanese Democracy
The occupation begins.
MacArthur purges Japanese
government of war-time political
and military leaders, dismantles and
transforms Japanese political
institutions, including scraping the
1889 Meiji constitution and
replacing it with a new constitution
in 1947 modeled after the British
and US system.
Emperor remains as symbolic head
of state, but with virtually no
political power.
Douglas MacArthur
Oversaw Occupation
of Japan 1945-1951
Although US occupation
officially ended in 1952, the
United States still maintains
military forces in Japan
(33,000 troops) and is bound
by treaty to defend Japan
from foreign invasion.
Japanese armed forces are
banned under the
Constitution but Japan was
later permitted a “Japanese
Defense Force”.
Constitution of Japan 1947
The 1947 Japanese constitution replaces the Meiji constitution of
1889.
Included provisions for civil rights/civil liberties, private
property, Article 9 “forever renounce war”.
Established a Parliamentary system with bicameral legislature
called the Diet
lower House of Representatives and upper House of Councilors –
both elected.
The lower house selects the prime minister who chooses the
cabinet from members of the Diet (who retain their seats while in
government).
House of Rep. terms are 4 years and House of Councilors are sixyear terms.
Parliamentary System
House of
Councilors
National Diet of Japan - Kokkai
House of
Representatives
Political Parties in Japan
Liberal Democratic
Party
New Komeito
Party
Democratic Party of
Japan
People’s New
Party
Japanese Social
Democratic Party
Japanese
Communist Party
LDP dominance
LDP traces routes back to Public Party of
Patriots established in 1874 during the
Meiji restoration.
Mainly a pro-business, private enterprise
party that seeks close government ties.
Given the parties size and years of
dominance, it is somewhat plagued by
intra-party divisions/factions called
hibatsu.
Years of one-party rule under the LDP
has resulted in a dense network of big
business, political elites, and the
bureaucracy (Japan’s Iron Triangle).
Main historical rival of the LDP
has historically been the Japanese
Socialist Party – now called the
Japanese Social Democratic Party
Since the 2000 election, the main
opposition has come from the
centrist Democratic Party of
Japan, DPJ.
In the 1960s a Buddhist backed
party called Komeito (Clean
government party) formed in
opposition to LDP corruption.
NKP is considered a religious
conservative party.